Assessments

Assessments



ASSESSMENT DRIVES INSTRUCTION

• Formal assessment measures include standardized tests, individually administered tests such as those used to identify special learning needs.

• Informal assessment measures include teacher-made tests, miscue analysis of oral reading, checklists, anecdotal observations, and student work samples.

Assessments need:
1. Validity: assessing what is learned/content

• a test is considered to have content validity if its items closely reflect the knowledge or skill it purports to measure.

2. Reliability: should get same results from this test each time and account for as many factors as possible

• a test is reliable if it yields similar results when retaken, usually with the use of two equivalent forms to lessen the possibility of a learning effect between testing and retesting

There are four types of assessments: Formative, Summative, diagnostic, and progress monitoring
Formative
-check to see if they're paying attention
-no frame of reference compared to other classes
-informal observations
-A planned process of regularly checking students' understanding during your instructional activities
Summative
-Cumulative evaluations that might generate a single score
-comparative to other classes
-Systematic
-Standardized
-chapter tests
-unit test
-state tests
Diagnostic
-pre-assessment, gives info at outset of teaching (ex. test to place in reading groups)
Progress Monitoring


Not one is better than the other. It is situational